About Town 11-27-13

Funds sought for wreaths at veterans cemetery

Reid Daugherty, a 17-year-old Civil Air Patrol cadet, is raising funds to place wreaths on every grave at West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery as part of the Wreaths Across America ceremony to be held Dec. 14.

The program aims to remember the fallen, honor those that serve and to teach the value of freedom.

Each wreath costs $15. To help the Civil Air Patrol in this effort, email 1st Lt Lisa Myrick, Kona Composite Squadron Commander at capkona@gmail.com or call 333-9061.

Interfaith concert planned today

The 12th annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Eve worship concert will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, 77-165 Lako St. Doors open at 5:45 p.m.

This year’s event will feature 13 houses of faith and culture. Each group will perform a short piece to celebrate religious and cultural differences and similarities. Admission is free, but donations of nonperishable food and monetary contributions for Hawaii Food Basket will be collected.

For more information, call pastor Chuck Frumin at 987-4219.

College financial planning workshop offered Dec. 4

Kealakehe High School will host a free college financial planning parent night at 6 p.m. Dec. 4 in the school’s cafeteria. A representative from the financial aid office at the University of Hawaii at Hilo will talk about grants, scholarships, loans, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and other sources of financial aid. The workshop will be repeated at 1 p.m. Jan. 19.

Parents and students are encouraged to attend one or both meetings, bring a laptop and be prepared to work on the application during the workshop where help will be available.

For more information, contact Linda Jeffrey at 327-4300, ext. 2432, or khparentcenter@yahoo.com.

Greenwell’s “Mouse House” on display

A miniature Christmas village, created by painter and Kona resident Martha Greenwell, is on display at the Isaacs Art Center at Hawaii Preparatory Academy through Jan. 4.

The Christmas village, known as “The Mouse House,” made its first Big Island appearance in December 2005 at the Kona Historical Society when the village returned to Greenwell from Oahu after more than 20 years.

The Isaacs Art Center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free. The center will be closed during Thanksgiving weekend and between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

For more information, or to arrange group visits, call 885-5884.

Shops at Mauna Lani hosts Hanukkah celebration Saturday

Congregation Kona Beth Shalom will celebrate the Festival of Lights, or Hanukkah, from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday outdoors at the Shops at Mauna Lani. The program will include music for singing and dancing by Kona’s Traveling Jewish Wedding Band, Yiddish hula by Na Kupuna O Kona Alii, crafts, magic, comedy and latkes (potato pancakes) for sale at Juice 101.

Participants are invited to bring Hanukkah menorahs to light and a potluck dish to share. Admission is free.

This year, Hanukkah begins at the same time as Thanksgiving, the last time this confluence will occur for 79,043 years. The first candle is lit the night before Thanksgiving, and an additional candle is lit each night for seven more nights.

For more information, visit konabethshalom.org.

Habitat for Humanity repairs Waimea home

A team of 13 volunteers from the mainland and Canada spent a week completing critical home repairs in Kuhio Village in Waimea earlier this month. Members of the team paid their own flights, accommodations, and made a monetary donation to Habitat for Humanity West Hawaii.

The partner family, the Chongs, worked alongside the volunteers and other partner families who have already received repairs on their homes while neighbors made lunches for the workers. The organization’s projects in Kuhio Village have included new construction, critical repairs, handicap accessibility, exterior paintings and deconstruction.

For more information, visit habitatwesthawaii.org.